


Cosplay at the Exhibition Gala? Gotta Get the Glue Gun!

by GordandV



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-10 15:20:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12914667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GordandV/pseuds/GordandV
Summary: “I had it commissioned,” Yuri continues while his eyes remain locked on the costume. “One of Russia’s top costume designers practically begged to make something for me, and-”“I like it!” Viktor interrupts with a grin.





	Cosplay at the Exhibition Gala? Gotta Get the Glue Gun!

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to all my fellow cosplayers/anyone who has ever tried to be creative/artistic in any way. I love cosplay, but sometimes I have to stop and ask myself why I put myself through so much pain and suffering for an outfit I'll wear for just a few hours a few times a year.
> 
> I wrote this as a sort of therapy when I was making my Eros cosplay and sat down and hand glued over 1,000 rhinestones for the sparkly crystal bits. I needed the characters to feel a bit of my pain, if only for a bit. Written long before the fandom got Yuri's official gala outfit (although I'd like to think I got a similar feel.)
> 
> And of course skating outfits aren't cosplay or even close to it, but I'd like to think a few skaters out there (in YOI or real life) like to try being hands on with their costumes.
> 
> Enjoy! -V

**Cosplay at the Exhibition Gala? Gotta Get the Glue Gun!**

_“I had it commissioned,” Yuri continues while his eyes remain locked on the costume. “One of Russia’s top costume designers practically begged to make something for me, and-”_

_“I like it!” Viktor interrupts with a grin._

 

“Look!”

There’s a smugness to Yuri’s voice that oozes pride when he thrusts a garment bag at Yuuri and Viktor. Viktor grabs the bag and Yuri unzips it.

“Look at how cool it is,” Yuri says as his newest gala costume in unveiled. “I bet neither of you have anything that looks this good.”

Yuuri removes the bag and Viktor turns the outfit around so he can get a better look at it.

“It’s certainly very interesting,” Viktor admits.

A roaring tiger made entirely out of rhinestones is spread out across the back of the white pleather jacket.

“Very unique,” Yuuri agrees with a smile. “Very you.”

The jacket doesn’t have sleeves. White tassels hang from the shoulders. A pair of skinny black pleather pants with obvious rips on the knees and thighs hang from a separate hanger. A leopard print sash of some kind is draped on the same hanger.

“I had it commissioned,” Yuri continues while his eyes remain locked on the costume. “One of Russia’s top costume designers practically _begged_ to make something for me, and-”

“I like it!” Viktor interrupts with a grin.

Yuri smiles smugly at Yuuri. “You’re still wearing Viktor’s old costumes?” he asks a bit snidely.

Yuuri just nods. “I like them.”

“Well my designer had a waitlist years long,” Yuri brags. “But she dropped everything to make this for me. Cool, huh?”

“Very cool,” Yuuri agrees. “I’m happy you like it.” It’s nice seeing Yuri so excited about something.

“You should commission something instead of trying to cosplay Viktor all the time,” Yuri says while Yuuri shifts the plastic and safely zips up the costume.

“Cosplay?” Viktor asks.

“It’s not cosplay!” Yuuri retorts immediately.

“You wear his old costumes,” Yuri says as he ticks off his fingers. “You skate his old routines. It’s cosplay.”

“It’s not cosplay!” Yuuri blushes. “It’s… it’s… a tribute!” he finishes lamely. “And all of Viktor’s costumes are perfectly fine to wear again.”

“Yeah, after you get them tailored to fit your fat ass,” Yuri remarks while he grabs the bag and hugs it lovingly to his chest.

Yuuri is still red in the face and stinging from the cosplay remark. “At least I have an ass! You had to get Viktor’s agape outfit taken in!”

Viktor looks between the two, unsure of what to do or say.

Yuri is seething and his hands tighten around the bag. “You’re just jealous I have the best exhibition outfit ever and you have to wear Viktor’s hand-me-downs!”

Yuuri just rolls his eyes. “I had plenty of fantastic costumes before I met Viktor,” he says with a snort.

“Really? Because the internet begs to differ,” Yuri snaps. “Ever Google yourself? What about that blue and red thing from your junior years?”

Yuuri sucks in a breath in horror and goes maroon when he remembers the costume in question. That outfit had been a mistake. A huge mistake. But every figure skater is entitled to at least one bad costume in their career, right?

Yuri starts to laugh when Yuuri covers his face in his hands.

Viktor just smiles. “I remember when one of Christophe’s outfits split at the seams,” he offers. “It was a good thing it happened during a warmup and he was wearing underwear.”

“Ew, gross.” Yuri sticks his tongue out.

“I had most of my costumes commissioned,” Viktor continues.

“Most?” Yuuri asks curiously.

“Yakov didn’t like some of my designs,” Viktor admits with a hint of sadness. “He refused to let the costume makers look at my ideas or let me offer input.” He brightens. “So I made my own!”

“Really? Which ones?” Yuuri demands. He can’t think of a single outfit from Viktor’s trunks upon trunks of skating costumes that seems handmade or out of place.

“Well I got a top designer to make this outfit for me,” Yuri says before Viktor can elaborate. “And it’s better than anything you or the Pig could ever make!”

Yuri stomps away. Viktor and Yuuri watch him go before Viktor drapes one arm around Yuuri’s shoulders and his other hand finds his chin.

“Maybe we should think about new costumes,” he suggests. “We do have new programs. It could be fun if we tried to design a few things on our own.”

“Are we going to match?” Yuuri teases.

 

Yuuri and Viktor’s good moods vanish as soon as they enter the rink for their warmup session the next day. Not a single competitor is on the ice. They’re all gathered around one of the benches, and it quickly becomes apparent why. Yuri is sitting on the polished wood, tears pouring down his face, and dry-cleaning bag held limply in his arms. Mila is rubbing his back and Christophe breaks away from the crowd. His face is grim.

“What happened?” Yuuri asks quietly while Viktor all but sprints over to Yuri.

“One of those crazy fangirls somehow got into his room,” Christophe replies quietly as he slips an arm around Yuuri’s waist. “She slashed up all his outfits.”

Yuuri’s eyes widen. Yuri is holding is same bag he had proudly shown off the day before.

“Even…?” Yuuri can’t finished his sentence.

Christophe nods sadly. Viktor crouches in front of Yuri and puts his hands on the blond’s shoulders.

“Even the new one.” He sighs loudly. “Such a shame. So much time and money wasted. I know it’s just an outfit and we should be thankful no one got hurt, but…”

Viktor tries pushing back some of Yuri’s bangs but instead gets slapped away and sworn at. Mila wisely back away and Christophe’s grip on Yuuri tightens.

“That’s horrible,” Yuuri whispers while Yuri thrusts the garment bag at Viktor with a sob. “Horrible.”

Viktor lands on his rear when Yuri pushes him, garment bag held against his chest with one hand. Yuri stands up, wipes at his eyes, and then starts yelling at the concerned people hovering around him. His words are far from nice, but it’s understandable: Yuri is slightly prickly on a good day, and his heart is no doubt currently crushed.

“He’s disappointed,” Christophe says sadly as Yuri heads over to the rink, removes his skate guards, and then all but throws them at the ground. “I wish there was something we could do.”

Yuuri nods. Viktor waves off hands that offer to help him up and instead shifts the garment bag to his lap and unzips it. His wince is beyond pained. Christophe and Yuuri walk over while Viktor looks at the damage. Yuuri recognizes a Russian swearword that he’s heard Yuri use repeatedly but has never heard pass Viktor’s lips. Viktor mutters something and Christophe nods.

“You’re telling me,” Christophe replies.

The outfit is slashed to ribbons, sequins are missing, and tassels are gone. The pants are nothing but strips of pleather, and the leopard print sash looks like there are burns in it. It’s definitely beyond repair.

“Yuri can always commission another piece, can’t he?” Yuuri asks. “If the designer was so eager to make this for him in the first place, she’ll do it again, won’t she?”

“It probably took hundreds of hours to make this the first time around,” Viktor murmurs while he thumbs over where the tiger’s head should have been on the costume: there’s nothing left but a few spots of glue. “And who knows what her schedule is like now. It could take months to get a replica made.”

“It’s a silly costume, but Yurio was clearly very excited to wear it,” Christophe says with a lopsided smile. “I feel bad.”

Yuuri nods. There’s nothing he or anyone can do to salvage the outfit. “Poor Yurio,” he agrees sadly. “He’s probably so disappointed.”

Viktor fingers a strip of pleather and then clenches it in a fist. “I’m not going to warmup, Yuuri. I’m going out for a bit.”

“You’re… what? Viktor, where are you going?” Yuuri demands while Viktor stands up and then pulls out his phone and begins thumbing and tapping at it with one hand.

“I need to find a place that sells glue guns,” Viktor replies simply.

“Viktor, this can’t be fixed,” Christophe says firmly. “It’s admirable that you’d want to try, but there’s no way to fix it. It’s beyond repair.”

“I’ll see you later,” Viktor says distractedly while he stares at his phone. “Have fun warming up, Chris.” His pats Yuuri’s shoulder. “I’ll see you later, Yuuri.” He kisses Christophe on the cheek.

“That’s interesting,” Christophe replies with a chuckle. “I don’t know if I should be flattered or offended!”

 

“Viktor, you missed the warmup, the press, and dinner!” Yuuri says, at a loss, when he opens the hotel door. “What have you been?” He freezes and stares.

“Yuuri, you’re back!” Viktor is seated at the small writing desk. “How was everything?”

“Fine,” Yuuri replies tonelessly while he takes in the mess taking up half of the room. “What on earth… Viktor, did you _buy_ a sewing machine?”

“Of course not!” Viktor glances at the large white machine settled on the low dresser between the beds. “There’s an anime convention happening in town.”

Yuuri drops his backpack on one of the beds and then sits. He just gawks. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“I met some nice people at the craft store,” Viktor explains distractedly while he continues to fiddle with a glue gun and what appears to be knotted strips of white pleather. “They’re here for the anime convention. They just needed a few little things for their costumes. They’re going to be ice-skaters, Yuuri!”

“But why do you have a sewing machine?” Yuuri demands helplessly.

“Oh, that.” Viktor winces and flaps one hand when he touches a spot of hot glue. “I told them I was making a costume as well. They said they were done using their sewing machine and I could use it if I wanted. They wanted to help, but they had to finish their own outfits and go pre-reg.”

“So some strangers just gave you their sewing machine to borrow?” Yuuri clarifies.

Viktor nods. “They’re staying two floors below us. I promised to have it back by tomorrow.”

Yuuri removes his glasses and runs a hand down his face. Of _course_ Viktor would run into friendly cosplayers who just so happened to have brought along a sewing machine.

“What have you been doing since I’ve been gone?” Yuuri asks as he replaces his glasses and gets up.

“Lots of things!”

Viktor sets the glue gun aside and holds up a white pleather sleeveless jacket. White tassels hang off the shoulders. The material is clearly cheap and the seams are a tad crooked, but it’s definitely Yuri’s jacket. Or at least a replica of it.

“How?” Yuuri demands in shock. “That’s amazing!”

Viktor motions to a heap of fabric on the floor. “The costume is all slashed up, but it’s still sort of together. I think I managed to get the sizing close. I just bought the pants though.” Viktor motions to a pair of pleather leggings.

“Viktor, this is incredible!” Yuuri gushes.

“I know you’re probably tired, but can you help me, Yuuri?” Viktor suddenly sounds desperate. He sets the vest down and reaches for the pants. “I can’t do everything at once. I need to hem the rips in the pants so they don’t widen.”

Yuuri reaches out and grabs Viktor by the shoulder when he gets up and heads for the sewing machine.

“You won’t get a clean hem,” Yuuri says. “The corners are too tight. Let me hand sew the pants and you keep working on the jacket.”

Viktor brightens. “Yuuri!”

The hug lasts only a few seconds.

“You know how to sew?” Viktor asks while Yuuri begins sorting through a small sewing box for needle, thread, and scissors.

“I altered a few of my own skating outfits,” Yuuri replies while he holds different bobbins up to the nearest light source to determine the color. “I usually bought good bases and then changed what I wanted.” He laughs. “We can’t all have top Russian designers begging to make outfits for us.”

Time passes. Viktor dramatically throws himself onto the bed and Yuuri glares at him.

“I’m sewing, Viktor. I have an incredibly small and pointy object in my hands.”

“How are we going to get this all done?” Viktor moans.

It’s almost midnight.

The jacket is done, but little packets of differently colored sequins sit at the writing desk. Unopened. Waiting.

“There’s no point giving Yuri this if it’s not done right,” Viktor continues while he grabs a pillow and pulls it over his face. “I haven’t even started the tiger!”

Yuuri grabs the pillows and tosses it aside. “Can you hand sew?”

Viktor nods once.

“Finish hemming the pants. And then start on the leopard sash. I’ll start the tiger.”

Yuuri hands over the needle and thread and then heads for the desk. He plugs in the glue gun and then pulls his phone out.

“Did Yurio post any pictures of what his jacket looked like?” he asks.

“A day or two ago. Why?”

“I need a reference.”

Yuuri puts his phone down and then heads for the bathroom. Then his and Viktor’s suitcases. “Do we not own any tweezers?” he demands.

“Tweezers?”

Yuuri stares at Viktor. “Do you seriously expect me to use my fingers?”

Viktor shrugs and holds one hand up: the pads of his fingers are faintly burned. “I did.”

Yuuri frowns. “Viktor… I meant because some of the sequins are so small.”

“I thought we had a pair somewhere.”

Yuuri throws his hands up in the air and heads for his phone. “I don’t have time for this!”

Viktor continues to sew and then watches Yuuri grab a keycard and head for the door.

“Christophe said I could borrow his tweezers.”

“Did he want to know why?” Viktor ventures.

“I told him I was making a tiger out of sequins.”

Yuuri is clearly now as invested as Viktor is in order to finish the outfit.

“Make sure the glue gun doesn’t drip on anything. I’ll be back in a minute.”

Viktor just nods: Yuuri is taking this seriously. Maybe a bit too seriously.

“Chris wanted to know if I was doing drugs,” Yuuri says as he steps back into the room. “He thought I was kidding about the sequin tiger. I told him I wasn’t.”

“And then what did he say?” Viktor asks.

“To be safe and text him if I needed help.”

“Why didn’t you ask him to help us?” Viktor sounds disappointed.

“It’s past midnight, Viktor. I didn’t feel right asking him to stay up with us since we all have to skate tomorrow. Besides, this was all your idea.” Yuuri sits at the desk and shifts the packets of sequins. “You go ask Chris if he wants to help.”

One in the morning passes. Viktor checks the pants and leopard sash and then retrieves two caffeinated sodas from the nearest vending machine. The tiger on the back of the otherwise completed jacket isn’t even close to being done, but what is done so far looks fantastic. Yuuri holds up the jacket and then rests his head against the desk with a groan.

“I’ve spent almost two hours on this,” Yuuri moans. “And only the tail is done.”

Viktor shrugs. The tail is long and curls around the jacket: it’s almost double the size of the actual tiger. Maybe that should have been saved for last. They could have cut the tiger’s tail short if needed.

“It looks fantastic, Yuuri.”

“Thank you.” Yuuri picks his head up. “Here.” He shoves a number of containers at Viktor. “Sort these by size and then you can help me glue. You can use the tweezers for now.”

Viktor soon has multiple piles of sequins: white, black, orange in small, medium, and large. It’s two in the morning.

“Break first,” Viktor insists as he reaches for the remote for the speakers which have been playing instrumental tunes for the past... Viktor winces. He’s been at this for over twelve hours. The soothing music has helped filled the otherwise silent hotel room, but now the calming opera and instrumentals are putting Viktor to sleep. He switches playlists, gets up, and then grabs Yuuri by the wrist. “Dance break!” he declares.

“Viktor, we need to-”

“Dance break!”

“But-”

“Dance break!”

“Vi-”

“Dance break!”

Viktor twirls Yuuri around and then dips him. Yuuri nearly kicks a lamp over. He can’t help but laugh.

“Fine, dance break! Then we finish!”

The music playing is definitely pop, Russian, and judging by how excitedly Viktor is bopping around the room, one of his favorites. Yuuri knows the refrain, but he has no idea what it means. He hopes it isn’t anything dirty.

Four minutes pass too quickly, but Yuuri feels thoroughly reenergized. Viktor looks the same. They both sit down at the desk and Yuuri picks up the glue gun.

“I glue, you stick,” Yuuri says.

It’s just before four in the morning when Yuuri unplugs the glue gun. Viktor holds the jacket up and sniffles.

“It’s beautiful,” Viktor says tearfully.

“It’s done,” Yuuri says with a moan. “Can we please go to sleep now?”

Viktor nods. “I’ll set an earlier alarm. We have to give this to Yurio before he skates!”

In less than ten hours. And that doesn’t include time for food, getting dressed, warming up-

“Viktor, go to sleep,” Yuuri grumbles while he crawls to the nearest bed and shoves a few piles of wayward material aside. “You can take a picture tomorrow.”

“It’s technically already tomorrow,” Viktor notes.

“Go to sleep!”

 

Yuuri looks at the outfit, neatly hung on a hanger, and exchanges a worried look with Viktor. The costume certainly looks good, but it’s not as neat as the first one. Things look better and worse after a few hours of sleep.

“Do you think he’ll like it?” Yuuri asks anxiously.

Viktor nods and turns the hanger around. He grins. The tiger is work of art. Over seven hundred hand glued sequins adorn the back. Viktor knows a good number of hastily glued pieces are likely to pop off the second Yuri goes to skate, but it’s for the gala: there’s no scoring system or strict dress code for the skate.

“I think he will. Let’s go give it to him!”

Viktor fits a spare garment bag over the outfit and then heads for the door. Yuuri follows at a more sedate pace.

“What if he doesn’t like it?” Yuuri gushes. “What if we just make everything worse? What if we make him cry?”

“Nonsense!” Viktor pauses and then bangs on Yuri’s door. “We did a great job! Yurio, open up!”

Yuri opens the door with a scowl. “What?”

Viktor offers the garment bag hopefully. “For you. Yuuri and I worked really hard on it, but it was my idea.”

Yuri hisses a bit as he snatches the bag. “Did you two try to make me a new outfit for the gala?” he demands.

“Yes,” Viktor says simply.

Yuri rolls his eyes but walks back into his room and motions with one hand. Viktor and Yuuri follow. Yuri hangs the bag on the bathroom door and then unzips it.

“What disaster did you two make?” Yuri says. “It bet it doesn’t even look… good…” Yuri’s back is the pair. “You two made this?”

“Yes,” Viktor says haltingly, suddenly unsure of Yuri’s reaction. “I made most of it, but look at the back! Yuuri made most of the tiger.”

Yuri turns the hanger around. The rhinestones glitter in the bright bathroom light.

“Viktor helped,” Yuuri offers quietly.

Yuri doesn’t reply.

“Viktor just wanted to try and help,” Yuuri says hurriedly. “We know how much your other outfit meant to you. We just wanted to help. You don’t have to wear it.”

“What?” Yuri whips around. “I’m wearing this! It’s… alright.” He smiles. “The seams are sort of crooked.”

“No one will notice once you’re skating,” Viktor says. “We stayed up all night! If Yuuri and I flub our routines at the gala, it’s because we’re exhausted.”

“I’m not going to pity you two because you both did something you didn’t have to do,” Yuri remarks with a frown. “But thank you. It’s pretty cool. You know, considering you two made it.”

“I don’t think I have fingerprints anymore,” Viktor offers while he looks at his hands.

“What? Viktor!” Yuuri grabs his hands. “Why didn’t you tell me you actually burned yourself!”

 


End file.
